A digital frequency synthesizer with an automatic calibration system. The digital frequency synthesizer is calibrated by initiating a coarse tuning operation to rapidly reach a preliminary frequency that is proximate to the desired final frequency. A calibration procedure is then executed for adjusting gain in the frequency synthesizer based on the preliminary frequency. This test involves applying one or more test signals to the frequency synthesizer and measuring a signal generated in the frequency synthesizer. This measured signal corresponds to a gain response of the circuit at the preliminary frequency. When the expected gain is known, any difference relative to the gain of the measured signal is used to adjust the gain in a circuit of the frequency synthesizer such that the actual gain substantially matches the expected gain.